


The Stars They Shine For You

by Hopeless--Geek (wuzzy90), littleblackfox



Category: The Martian (2015)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-23
Updated: 2018-01-23
Packaged: 2019-03-08 17:30:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13463067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wuzzy90/pseuds/Hopeless--Geek, https://archiveofourown.org/users/littleblackfox/pseuds/littleblackfox
Summary: What the hell should he say? What can he get away with saying? Everything he types will be released to the public, there for the whole world to see, he can’t exactly write “Why didn’t you jump me when you had the chance, you dumb prick?”





	The Stars They Shine For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [NurseDarry](https://archiveofourown.org/users/NurseDarry/gifts).



> For Darry, beta reader, fellow cheese enthusiast and merciless enabler  
> Art by the amazing [Hopeless Geek](https://hopelessartgeek.tumblr.com)  
> Words by [Littleblackfox](http://thelittleblackfox.tumblr.com/)

_Hey, Watney. It’s Beck._   
**Hey handsome.**

Beck pauses, turning away from the screen, his fingers clenching.   
What the hell should he say? What can he get away with saying? Everything he types will be released to the public, there for the whole world to see, he can’t exactly write “Why didn’t you jump me when you had the chance, you dumb prick?”  
Commander Lewis comes over to watch him not writing, her face turned away from the screen in a semblance of privacy, like the world wasn’t watching Chris Beck finally get a chance to talk to the man he almost lost, and is coming up empty.

What should he say?  
‘I’m sorry I left you for dead on Mars?’  
‘I searched for you in the storm. The storm was so bad I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face, so I got down on my hands and knees and crawled through the sand looking for you. But the MAV was tipping and Lewis ordered me to go.’  
‘Please don’t die.’

Beck shakes his head, and looks at Lewis, watching him with an air of calm authority. Maybe she knows? Who is he kidding, of course she knows. She knows everything.  
“What do I tell him?” Beck asks softly. “What do I say?”  
Lewis pushes her hand through her hair, gathering up the loose strands into a ponytail and drawing it over her shoulder. “Tell him what he needs to hear.”  
Beck purses his mouth, and lets out a soft huff of air.

_Tell me what it’s like out there?_   
**It’s beautiful. Every day I go out and I see something new, something different. Things no living thing has ever seen before.**   
_I wish I was there. I wish I could see it with you._   
**I’ll tell you about it when I get back.**   
_You’d better.  
I miss your stupid face._

*****

“Hey, handsome!"  
Lewis pushes Watney into the airlock, and he staggers forward a few paces before almost falling into Beck's arms. Their helmets bumps together, their thick gloves barely able to grasp each other, and Beck hardly notices Lewis moving around them, or the muted hiss of the hatch sealing.  
His vision is filled with blue eyes in a deeply-lined face, worn and sunburned and beautiful to behold. There is no sight on Earth or any other world that would be sweeter than that smile, shining like a newly-formed star.  
Lewis twists at Watneys helmet, and lifts it away. Beck should say something, do something, but he can only stare as the crew gathers around them. He tightens his grip on Watney’s arms as they crowd in closer, almost possessive, half-convinced that if he lets go, Watney might just disappear again. Watney holds him just as tightly, anchoring himself in place.  
"Hey," Martinez calls at Beck's shoulder. "Lemme give you a hand with that."  
He fumbles for the release catch, and pulls off Beck's helmet. "Just so you know, there's a bit of a smell here from your loverboy," he adds with a chuckle.  
"I haven't had a shower in a year and a half," Watney answers with a rueful grin.  
His smile falters, a glimmer of uncertainty in his gaze as he drinks in the sight of Beck again after so long apart. "I ran out of toothpaste, like, three months ag-"  
Whatever else he had wanted to say is muffled by Beck's mouth against his. Watney’s lips are dry and cracked, and Beck wants nothing more than to kiss them until they are supple and sweet, however long that takes. The rest of his life, preferably.  
Martinez wolf-whistles as they break apart for air, and Beck laughs for the first time since Sol 18.  
"Jeez, your breath stinks," he rasps.  
"You ain't exactly fragrant yo-"  
Beck silences him with another kiss, and another, until Watney gives up on talking, at least for now.  
"Houston, this is Hermes actual," Lewis’ voice stutters through the comms, thick with emotion. "We got him!"


End file.
